Clip system for fixing an attachment to a support part

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a clip system for fixing an attachment to a support part, using a connecting clip ( 1 ) consisting of a resilient material. Said connecting clip ( 1 ) can be clamped to a retaining rib ( 8 ) of the attachment ( 6 ) and can be inserted into an essentially rectangular orifice ( 9 ) of the support part ( 7 ). The connecting clip ( 1 ) has two spring-loaded limbs ( 3 ), which originate from a central segment ( 2 ) and are bent back on themselves, whose free ends ( 4 ) are bent outwards and backwards in such a way that when the external limbs ( 5 ) formed by said bend are introduced into the orifice ( 9 ), they are pressed together in a spring-loaded manner between the edges ( 10 ) and snap into said opening, thus securing the connecting clip ( 1 ) in a non-positive fit. To fix the connecting clip ( 1 ) to the attachment ( 6 ), the central segment ( 2 ) has a gap ( 15 ) for introducing the retaining rib ( 8 ). In addition, the lower ends ( 4 ) of the internal spring-loaded limbs ( 3 ) have claws ( 16 ) that are obliquely inclined towards one another, which are braced against the lateral surfaces ( 17 ) of the retaining rib ( 8 ) once the latter has been introduced. Once the connecting clip ( 1 ) has been introduced into the orifice ( 9 ), additional tension is exerted on the claws ( 16 ) by the pressure of the external spring-loaded limbs ( 5 ), thus further increasing the retaining force on the retaining rib ( 8 ).

[0001] The invention pertains to a clamp system for mounting anattachment part on a carrier part by means of a connecting clamp ofspringable material, wherein this connecting clamp can be fixed on aholding rib of the attachment part and inserted into an essentiallyrectangular opening in the carrier part, and wherein the connectingclamp is springably deformed during this insertion in such a way thatthe clamp is non-positively connected to the carrier part on the edgesof this opening.

[0002] An elastic clamp of spring steel for the aforementioned purposeis known from DE 32 45 056 A1. This clamp comprises three limb pairs ofdifferent lengths which, beginning from a center line, are bent backtoward one another in such a way that they form a rhombus when viewedfrom the side. The free ends of the limb pairs come in contact with oneanother in the unattached state of the clamp and are then angularly bentonce again such that the attachment of the clamp on the holding rib ofthe attachment part is simplified. During this attachment, the free endsof the limb pairs are spread apart and pressed against the lateralsurfaces of the holding rib. The two outer limb pairs of significantlyshorter length are additionally provided with inwardly bent claws intheir contact region on the holding rib in order to ensure the retentionof the clamp on the holding rib.

[0003] The function of the clamp, namely the mounting of the attachmentpart on a carrier part, is realized with the longer central limb pair.In this case, the center width of the longer limb pair is greater thanthe corresponding clear width of the slot-shaped opening in the carrierpart by a certain amount. When mounting the attachment part, its holdingrib with the clamp attached thereon is inserted into the slot-shapedopening of the carrier part while elastically deforming the central limbpair, namely until the opposing obtuse-angle regions of the limb pairlie behind the inner edge of the opening and the limb surfaces adjointhe inner edge after springing back.

[0004] The design of this clamp does not ensure a truly secure seat onthe holding rib of the attachment part because it is merely held thereonby the inwardly directed pressing force of the limb pair. This is thereason why shorter lateral limb pairs with additional holding claws areprovided. Since the holding claws generate a high resistance to beingbent due to the relatively short length of the clamping limbs, arelatively high force is required for pressing the holding rib betweenthe holding claws until it contacts the bottom of the clamp.

[0005] The invention is based on the objective of developing a versatileclamp system for connecting structural parts which allows a simplemounting process, wherein a truly secure seat of the clamp on thecarrier part and thusly a secure connection between the structural partand the carrier part can be achieved with simple means.

[0006] According to the invention, this objective is attained due to thefact that the connecting clamp of the aforementioned clamp system has,in the unattached state, two spring limbs that are bent toward oneanother from a central web, wherein the free ends of said spring limbsare bent outward and rearward in such a way that the thusly formed outerlimbs can be springably pressed together and locked between the edges ofthe opening, and due to the fact that the central web contains a recessfor inserting the holding rib, wherein the inner spring limbs areprovided with claws that are transversely bent toward one another andspringably adjoin the lateral surfaces of the holding rib after itsinsertion.

[0007] Due to the design of the connecting clamp in accordance with theinvention, the holding rib can be easily pressed through the recessbetween the claws, and the claws are additionally pressed against theside walls of the holding rib when the rearwardly bent spring limbs arepressed together during the insertion of the clamp into the opening ofthe carrier part. This means that the clamping effect of the claws isadditionally intensified. In comparison with the above-cited state ofthe art, higher retention forces and an undoubtedly more secure seat ofthe clamp are achieved in this fashion.

[0008] This effect is additionally intensified if the claws are arrangedshortly before the free end of the spring limbs. Due to the utilizationof the full bending length of the inner spring limbs, the claws can bespread apart even more easily and also pressed against the side walls ofthe holding rib with a greater force when the connecting clamp isinserted, namely because the additional pressing force originating fromthe locking edges is exerted upon a shorter limb length.

[0009] According to one advantageous additional development of theinvention, the inner spring limbs respectively contain a slot thatbegins at their edges on both sides of the recess, wherein said slotserves for accommodating a correspondingly thick reinforcing rib betweenthe structural part and the holding rib and thusly ensures a stablecontact between the connecting clamp and the holding rib.

[0010] The outer limbs are preferably formed of three sections that arealternately bent inward and outward at obtuse angles, wherein thebending line between the second and the third section respectively formsa locking groove for the locking edges of the opening. In this case, theflexibility of the first section can be advantageously increased if thissection contains an essentially rectangular recess that extends beyondthe roundly bent end. The remaining narrow spring webs provide the firstsection of the spring limbs with a higher elasticity such that theconnecting clamp can be inserted into and, if so required, pulled out ofthe opening in the carrier part more easily.

[0011] One embodiment of the clamp system according to the invention isillustrated in the figures and described in greater detail below. Thefigures show:

[0012]FIG. 1, a side view of a preferred embodiment of the connectingclamp used in the present clamp system;

[0013]FIG. 2, a front view of the same connecting clamp;

[0014]FIG. 3, a top view of the same connecting clamp;

[0015]FIG. 4, a section through the connecting clamp along the lineIV-IV in FIG. 1;

[0016]FIG. 5, a section through the connecting clamp along the line V-Vin FIG. 2;

[0017]FIG. 6, a detail of an attachment part with a holding rib that isaligned for its insertion into the connecting clamp;

[0018]FIG. 7, a section through the connecting clamp fixed on theholding rib along the line VII-VII in FIG. 3, wherein the connectingclamp is aligned for its insertion into the mounting opening of acarrier part, and

[0019]FIG. 8, an illustration analogous to that shown in FIG. 7,however, after connection between the attachment part and the carrierpart is produced in accordance with the invention.

[0020] The present clamp system serves for mounting an attachment part 6on a carrier part 7 by means of a connecting clamp 1 that can be fixedon a holding rib 8 of the attachment part 6. The thusly fixed connectingclamp 1 is then inserted into an essentially rectangular opening 9 inthe carrier part 7. During this process, the connecting clamp 1 isdeformed in such a way that the clamp 1 is non-positively engaged withthe carrier part 7 on the edges 10 of this opening 9.

[0021] FIGS. 1-4 show that the connecting clamp 1 is manufactured of anoriginally rectangular spring steel sheet, wherein the connecting clamp1 has, in the unattached state, two spring limbs 3 that are bent towardone another from a central web 2. These spring limbs nearly contact oneanother on their free ends 4 and are then bent outward and rearward insuch a way that the outer limbs 5 form a wedge-shaped profile in theside view shown in FIG. 1.

[0022]FIG. 5 shows that the outer spring limbs 5 consist of threesections, wherein the first section 11 is bent outward at an acute anglefrom the lower free end 4. The second, central section 12 is bent inwardat an obtuse angle, and the third section 13 is bent outward at anobtuse angle. In this case, the bending line between each second section12 and third section 13 forms a locking groove 14 that adjoins andengages with the locking edges 10 of the opening 9 in the carrier part 7after inserting the connecting clamp 1 into this opening.

[0023] In order to securely and durably connect the connecting clamp 1to the attachment part 6, the latter comprises a holding rib 8, whereinthe central web 2 of the connecting clamp 1 contains a recess 15, theclear dimensions of which correspond to the cross section of the holdingrib 8. In addition, claws 16 that are transversely bent toward oneanother are arranged shortly before the lower end 4 of the spring limbs3, wherein said claws springably adjoin the lateral surfaces 17 of theholding rib 8.

[0024] The holding rib 8 is centrally supported relative to theattachment part 6 on both sides by means of a triangular reinforcing rib18. The inner spring limbs 3 each contain a slot 20 that originates attheir edges 19 on both sides of the recess 15, wherein said slots servefor accommodating the reinforcing ribs 18 after inserting the holdingrib 8 into the connecting clamp 1.

[0025] Support ribs 21 are also integrally formed onto the attachmentpart 6 on both sides of the holding rib 8, wherein said support ribs arespaced apart from the holding rib and simultaneously adjoin the carrierpart 7 when the locking groove 14 engages with the opening 9. This meansthat these support ribs act as spacers between the carrier part 7 andthe attachment part 6. The distance between the two support ribs 21 issuch that the upper sections 13 of the outer spring limbs 5 havesufficient space between the support ribs 21 after the insertion of theholding rib 8 in the non-tensioned state of the connecting clamp 1.

[0026] In order to realize the first section 11 of the spring limbs 5 aselastically as possible, this section contains an essentiallyrectangular cutout 22 that extends into the inner spring limbs 3 beyondthe roundly bent end 4.

[0027] FIGS. 5-8 elucidate the effect of the clamp system according tothe invention. The holding rib 8 of the attachment part 6 is initiallyinserted from the top into the recess 15 of the central web 2 in thedirection of the arrow “M” and pressed downward between the spring limbs3 and the claws 16 until the attachment part 6 contacts the central web2 (FIG. 7). The carrier part 7 with its opening 9 can now be pressedover the connecting clamp 1 in the direction of the arrows “A.” Duringthis process, the outer spring limbs 5 are initially pressed togetherand then spring back apart again after the central section 12 passesthrough the opening 9, namely until the locking groove 14 engages withthe edges 10 and the support ribs 21 of the attachment part 6 lie on thecarrier part 7 (FIG. 8). List of reference symbols 1 Connecting clamp 2Central web 3 Spring limbs 4 Free end 5 Outer limb 6 Attachment part 7Carrier part 8 Holding rib 9 Opening 10 Locking edges 11 First section12 Second section 13 Third section 14 Locking groove 15 Recess 16 Claws17 Lateral surfaces 18 Reinforcing rib 19 Edge (of the recess) 20 Slot21 Support rib 22 Cutout

1. Clamp system for mounting an attachment part on a carrier part bymeans of a connecting clamp (1) of springable material, wherein thisconnecting clamp (1) can be fixed on a holding rib (8) of the attachmentpart (6) and inserted into an essentially rectangular opening (9) in thecarrier part (7), and wherein the connecting clamp is springablydeformed during this insertion in such a way that the clamp (1) isnon-positively connected to the carrier part (7) on the edges (10) ofthis opening (9), characterized by the fact that the connecting clamp(1) has, in the unattached state, two spring limbs (3) that are benttoward one another from a central web (2), wherein the free ends (4) ofsaid spring limbs are bent outward and rearward in such a way that thethusly formed outer limbs (5) can be springably pressed together andengaged between the edges (10) of the opening (9), and by the fact thatthe central web (2) contains a recess (15) for inserting the holding rib(8), wherein the inner spring limbs (3) are provided with claws (16)that are transversely bent toward one another and springably pressedagainst the lateral surfaces (17) of the holding rib (8) after itsinsertion.
 2. Clamp system according to claim 1, characterized by thefact that the claws (16) which are transversely bent toward one anotherare arranged shortly before the free end (4) of the inner spring limbs(3).
 3. Clamp system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by thefact that the inner spring limbs (3) respectively contain a slot (20)that originates at their edges (19) on both sides of the recess (15),wherein said slots serve for accommodating a correspondingly thickreinforcing rib (18) between the attachment part (6) and the holding rib(8).
 4. Clamp system according to one of claims 1-3, characterized bythe fact that the outer spring limbs (5) consist of three sections,wherein the first section (11) is bent outward at an acute angle fromthe lower end (4), the second section (12) is bent inward at an obtuseangle and the third section (13) is bent outward again at an obtuseangle, and wherein the bending line between the second section (12) andthe third section (13) forms the locking groove (14) for the lockingedges (10) of the opening (9).
 5. Clamp system according to claim 4,characterized by the fact that the lower section (11) contains anessentially rectangular cutout (22) that extends beyond the roundly bentend (4).